Disturbance-operated circuit-breaker.



No. 893,997. PATENTED JULY 21,1908. L. DrHAAS & B e. DERBIDGE.

DISTURBANGE OPERATED CIRCUIT BREAKER.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV.3,1906.

ATTORNEYS ZW/TNESSES I I Zea i grow flzmd%4 Lq zifi z Wm M - UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE.

LEO DAVID HAAS AND EDWIN GEORGE DERBIDGE, OF SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 21, 1908.

Application filed November 3, 1906. Serial N 0. 341,852.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, LEO D. HAAS and EDWIN G. DERBIDGE, citizens of the United not automatic is brought about by some unwhich also serves as abinding with a I thread. 13.

usual disturbance, such for instance as an earthquake, a cyclone or violent shock of an exceptional character.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this s ecification, in which the figure is a vertica section through our improved a paratus. A casing 1 is provide with a base 2 and may be placed underground or in some inaccessible spot. Mounted upon the base 2 is a standard 3 having a bracket 4 adjustably mounted thereupon and provided with a part 5 serving as a blnding post. The bracket 4 is further provided with an a erture 6 of circular form, the inner edge of w 'ch is rounded. A bracket 7 is connected with the upper end of the standard 3 by means of a screw 8,

The bracket 7 is provided with a bowl-like aperture 9 and with a conical aperture 10 merging thereinto. A rod 11 of metal or other conducting material is provided at its upper end with a ball 12 and at its lower end A weight 14 is mounted upon the thread 13, and by being turned may be adjusted vertically upon the rod '11. This rod normally occupies the center of the aperture 6.

From the bindin post 8 a wire 15 leads to a solenoid 16 and t once a wire 17 leads to a battery 18 or equivalent source of electricity; from the latter a wire 19 leads to the binding post 5." The solenoid 16 is provided with an armature 20.

A base 21 is provided with a switch arm 22 journaled thereupon and connected with the armature 20 by means of 'a' link 23. A contact button 24 and a blind or dead button 24 are mounted upon the board 21. The switch arm 22'and the contact button 24 are connected respectively with leads 25 and 26,

which pass into the casing 1 through apertures 27 and 28.

The leads 25, 26, may represent the mains of an electric lighting system or those used for supplying current for the propulsion of machinery.

It will be understood that while we show a battery 18 we do not limit ourselves thereto, for the reason that any other known source pf electricity may be employed as an equivaent.

The action of our device is as follows: The rod 11 being centered as above de scribed, presents comparatively little friction owing to the fact that the undersurface of the ball 12 makes but little contact, resting in the bottom of the bowl-like aperture 9, and the rod 11 may therefore be swung like-a pendulum. The sensitiveness of the that a cyclone comes along, or that some.

similar exceptional disturbance occurs. The

ball 14 because of its inertia tends to re main stationary, Whereas the seismic disturbance moves the base, standard 3, and the brackets 4, 7; such being the case, the rod 11 being displaced relatively to the aperture 6, makes contact with the bracket 4,

thereby completing the following circuit:

Source of electricity 18, wire 17, solenoid 16, wire 15, bindin post 8, bracket 7, rod 11, bracketfi, bindlng post 5, wire 19, back to source of electricity '18. This energizes the solenoid 16, causing the same to draw the armature 2 0, and this movement disconnects the switch arm 22 -from the contact button 24, thereby opening the circuit through the leads 25, 26, and switch arm 22.

' Our invention is of especial service for shutting 01f electric power in cities where disturbances of the kind abovedescribed are liable to take place. It will be understood that owing to the flow of heavy currents through the mains in a city, great damage may be done in case the insulation of the main Wire is wholly or partly disturbed, and

it is desirable in order to avoid the possi-' bility of fire, to shut off the-power the instant the earthquake or cyclone or unusual vibrations take place.

We do not limit the use of the epperetus to opening electrical circuits, for the reason that it may obviously be used for shutting off power of any kind, controllable by e mov- 5 able member such as the switch arm 22.

Heving thus described our invention we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent: 7

The combination of a standard of insulat- ,10 il g material, a bracket of conducting me,-

teriel provided with en aperture, seid bracket being adjustable relatively to said standard in the general direction of the length thereof, a, second bracket of conduct- 5 ing meteriel mounted u on said standard, e

pendulum rod euspen ed from said lasteeeee? mentioned bracket end extending through said aperture of said first-mentioi1ed bracket, 11 Weight momited upon seid pendulum rod end edjusteble relatively thereto for the 20 purpose of verying the sensitiveness of said pendulum rod to disturbing influences, end electrical connections for said brackets.

In testimony whereof We heve signed our names to this specification in the presence of 25 two subscribing Witnesses.

LEO DAVID HMS. EDWIN GEORGE DERBIDGE.

Witnesses:

CARL Percesorr, J E. FISHER. 

